1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunctional apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a compact multifunctional apparatus, which has an operating panel formed on a scanning unit cover and improves a structure of an electrical connection between an operating panel circuit board and a main circuit board disposed thereunder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a multifunctional apparatus is an apparatus which combines several office automation (OA) apparatuses, such as a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile.
Since the multifunctional apparatus typically includes an image scanning unit and a printing unit, it can scan an image recorded on a document and print it on a sheet of paper or receive a printing data from an external computer and print it on the sheet of paper.
In a conventional multifunctional apparatus, the image scanning unit is disposed over the printing unit. In particular, a compact multifunctional apparatus includes a scanning unit cover that covers a document path. One side of the scanning unit cover is hinge-jointed to a main body of the multifunctional apparatus so as to enable an easy maintenance operation when a paper jam occurs in the document path. Also, an operating panel of the multifunctional apparatus is preferably disposed on the scanning cover unit.
Therefore, in the main body of the multifunctional apparatus, an operating panel circuit board, which supplies power or transfers control signals to the image scanning unit and the operating panel, is separated from a main circuit board, which receives power from an external power source. Also, the operating panel circuit board can be selectively electrically connected to the main circuit board by wires disposed therebetween.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional compact multifunctional apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a main body of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 when a scanning unit cover is opened to show a connection structure between circuit boards.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a multifunctional apparatus 1 includes a main body 10 and a scanning unit cover 50 that covers a top part of the main body 10. A document supply support 20 on which documents are loaded is formed between the main body 10 and the scanning unit 50. A paper supply support 30 on which sheets of paper are loaded is disposed below the document supply unit 20 to supply the sheets of paper to the main body 10. The document supply support 20 and the paper supply support 30 are inclined with respect to the rear side of the multifunctional apparatus 1, and a paper and document discharge support 40 is installed on the opposite side of the document and paper supply supports 20 and 30. Scanned documents or printed sheets of paper are stacked on the discharge support 40 together.
One side of the scanning unit cover 50 is rotatably hinge-jointed to the main body 10 of the multifunctional apparatus 1. An operating panel 60 is formed on the scanning unit cover 50, and an operating panel circuit board (not shown) is attached to a bottom of the operating panel 60. The operating panel circuit board is electrically connected to the operating panel 60 to transfer signals or supply power to the operating panel 60 or receive signals from the operating panel 60.
A main circuit board 11 is disposed at a bottom part of the multifunctional apparatus 1 and electrically connected to devices of a printing unit. The main circuit board 11 is connected to the operating panel circuit board by a plurality of conducting wires 13. The conducting wires 13 are relatively long and pass through an opening 12a of a cover unit 12, which is preferably formed by injection molding including the document supply support 20. An iron core 14 is installed around the conducting wires 130 to prevent noise interference, and a tube (not shown) may be additionally installed to protect the conducting wires 13.
The foregoing connection structure of the circuit board disadvantageously requires the iron core 14 to prevent noise interference caused by the long conducting wires 13, and also the conducting wires 13 can be cut off by components inside the multifunctional apparatus 1 when the scanning unit cover 50 is opened and closed.
Also, in the conventional compact multifunctional apparatus 1, when the scanning unit cover 50 to which the operating panel 60 is attached is opened, since the operating panel circuit board remains electrically charged, a user may accidentally push buttons of the operating panel 60, thus operating the multifunctional apparatus 1 unintentionally.